The Compact Prayer Ribbons invited to Capitol Hill for World AIDS Day

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The Provincetown Community Compact is honored to be invited to US Congress to share the story of the Provincetown Community and our response to HIV/AIDS. Thank you.Come Visit Displays of Remembrance, Hope andSupport for 2016 World AIDS Day, December 1. Provincetown Swim for Life Prayer Ribbons Visit Capitol Hill

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Dear Colleagues:Since the first cases of AIDS were diagnosed in 1981, communities around the world have been devastated by this terrible disease. Provincetown, Massachusetts, a well- known LGBTQ resort on the tip of Cape Cod, was one of those communities that was affected and decided to fight despair with hope.Each year, the first weekend after Labor Day, Provincetown holds the Swim for Life and Paddler Flotilla to raise awareness and money for local AIDS support. They have held successful events through rain or shine since 1988 and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for AIDS support services around Cape Cod. In 1993, the Swim for Life starting displaying five-foot long, multi-colored Prayer Ribbons near the race route on which swimmers write their personal thoughts about how AIDS has impacted them, their friends and/or families. The visual statements are an important, familiar and moving part of the event. The Prayer Ribbons have also been displayed around Massachusetts, including the State House in Boston.

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I am pleased the Provincetown Swim for Life Prayer Ribbons will be on display on World AIDS Day, Thursday, December 1, 2016 from 11:00am-3:00pm in the Cannon Caucus Room. There will be a brief speaking program at 1pm featuring Jay Critchley, the Swim for Life founder. Members and staff are invited to come see these important symbols of the fighting the AIDS epidemic and are also encouraged to take photos and share their experience on social media.I am proud of the work members of the Provincetown community have done to raise funds, provide support for those living with, and remembering those who have died of AIDS. I hope you and your staff can attend this important event.If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Zach Dupont in Congressman Neal’s office at zach.dupont@mail.house.gov or 202-225-5601.Sincerely,Richard E. NealMember of Congress

The Compact honors Orlando nightclub victims, brings Prayer Ribbons to Orlando

Like communities across the country, Provincetown, Massachusetts was shocked and outraged by the recent massacre at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. In response, the Provincetown Community Compact (The Compact) recently memorialized the 49 victims at a special ceremony at Provincetown Town Hall. Each person’s name, which was inscribed on a black Prayer Ribbon, and age was read aloud and attached to a part of the 2,800 personal Prayer Ribbons collected over 29 years at the annual Provincetown Swim for Life. An additional ribbon was inscribed for those injured in the Orlando attack.This specially dedicated strand of Prayer Ribbons will travel to Orlando to be displayed for public viewing: Leu Gardens, November 21-27; and Orlando City Hall, November 28-December 2. Poster.        “We are honored to share this memorial strand of Prayer Ribbons with the families and the community of Orlando”, stated Compact founder and director Jay Critchley. “Provincetown is an historic arts and tourist destination and a place of pilgrimage that welcomes all people,” he continued. “Since the early 1980s, we have mourned the loss of hundreds of people to AIDS and have responded with compassion and action. We share a kinship with the Orlando community and honor their strength and resilience”.About The CompactThe Provincetown Community Compact, Inc. was established in 1993 as a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization as a community-building and philanthropic organization. Its mission is to advance the health and cultural well being of the year round community of outer Cape Cod – its people, the natural environment and the economy. www.thecompact.orgAbout the Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler FlotillaThe Provincetown Swim for Life, sponsored by The Compact, was established in 1988 to bring the community together and empower those affected by HIV. At this annual fundraiser, which has raised $4M for AIDS, women’s health and the community, the public is invited to honor people in their lives – both living and deceased – by inscribing a message on a five-foot long colored ribbon. These Prayer Ribbons are a visual witness to a community that has moved well beyond fear and hatred. These special fifty ribbons are the first black ribbons, and are inscribed in gold.Photos by Mike Syers.

29th Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla raises an estimated $225,000 for AIDS, women’s health & the community

After a stormy week of weather, the 29^th Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla was greeted on Saturday with partly sunny skies, warm water and a mild Southeast breeze. This post-Labor Day community celebration and fundraiser generated an estimated 5,000 for AIDS, women’s health & the community with the support of 412 swimmers, 75+ kayakers and safety boats and 150 volunteers.The event at the Boatslip Beach Club, sponsored by the Provincetown Community Compact and organized by artist and director Jay Critchley, honored Zoe Lewis with the David Asher Volunteer Award for her years of Mermaid Brunch entertainment and her contributions to the community. Artist Bill Evaul designed this year’s t-shirt.The Prayer Ribbons installation, strung across the expansive waterfront deck of the Boatslip, included black ribbons with the names of the 49 victims and those injured in the Orlando massacre mixed into a strand of colored ribbons. A moment of silence was observed for all who have suffered from violence in the US and worldwide. Teams that participated in the event included Team4Pulse, LANES Boston, Wellesley High School, Harry’s Team Bell, Fitzy’s Mermaids and Moving Violations Motorcycle Club.Handcrafted medallions by Christie Andressen of Taqua Glassworks and Kaolin Davis were awarded to swimmers who have swum ten times or raised $10,000 in pledges. Circle of Honor recipients include: Brian Moynihan, Boston; Shoshanna Ehrich, Brookline; Wendell Chestnut, Melrose; Dr. Ed Nardell, Brookline; William Klessens, Salem, NH; Jorge Arroyo, Brookline; Leslie Tiffany, Chestnut Hill; Esther Kohn, Jamaica Plain; Lyne Desormeaux, NYC; Suzanne Shayer, Hartford, CT; Chris Brenner, W. Dennis; and Scott Helms, Hull.Fifty-eight swimmers and kayakers raised over one thousand dollars each in pledges and joined the $1,000 Club, receiving prizes from local businesses totaling $10,000 in value. Top fundraisers include: Jim Youngerman, Lenox, $15,001; Terry Stangel, Cambridge, $9,100; Barbara Jo Revelle, Gainesville, FL, $8,610; Paul Mast, Waldwick, NJ, $7,007; Mark Bastian, San Miguel, Mexico, $6,418; Peter Mellett, N. Truro, $6,176; Gene Elizabeth Landis, Amesbury, $5,500; and Jeff Giles, Jamaica Plain, $4,900. The top kayaker fundraiser is Maureen Desabrais of Chicopee at $2,680.Although not a race, times are recorded for personal best. The fastest male swimmer was Johann Steiner of San Francisco at 27 minutes, 43 seconds. Top female finisher was Katie McCully of Eastham, MA at 31 minutes.Abby Walker was the youngest swimmer at eight years old, swimming the distance in a “Satellite Swim” in a pool over the summer. Her dad, Jeff Walker and Gene Elizabeth Landis also did pool swims. The oldest female swimmer was Joan Nagle, 84, of Eastham, and the oldest male was Robert Callender, 74, of Tiburon, CA.Other weekend events included the festive Celebration of Life Concert the night before the Swim at the UU Meeting House, produced by John Thomas, and, the Mermaid Brunch on the Boatslip deck following the Swim.Special thanks go to volunteer crews from Seamen’s Bank, Helping Our Women, AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, Outer Cape Health Services and Far Land Provisions who catered the event. The Swim also thanks Wellfleet and Cape Cod National Seashore lifeguards and support from Provincetown TV, Provincetown Aquasports, transport boats Cee Jay, Dog Gone Sailing, John Salvatore, Schooner Hindu, Provincetown Marina and Flyer’s Boat Rentals.This year’s Swim beneficiaries include: AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, Helping Our Women, Provincetown Schools, Lower Cape Ambulance, Soup Kitchen of Provincetown, Outer Cape Health Services, The Compact Community Fund, Provincetown Rescue Squad, Accessible Provincetown, Cape Cod Children’s Place and the West End Racing Club.Event sponsors include: Lead Sponsor, Seamen’s Bank, and Media Sponsor, Provincetown Banner. Business sponsors include: Fanizzi’s Restaurant, Lobster Pot Restaurant, Far Land Provisions, Boatslip Beach Club, Harbor Hotel, Crown & Anchor, Mussel Beach Health Club, Berta Walker Gallery and support from the Provincetown Visitor Services Board.The 30th Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla is set for September 9, 2017.

Swim for Life Volunteer Award presented to Zoe Lewis

She grew up in Rottingdean, a small fishing village on the south coast of England. “All the old ladies had poodles. In Provincetown it’s the young gentlemen with their tiny dogs,” Zoe Lewis explains. There are smugglers caves and tunnels under the town and the famous writer, Rudyard Kipling, lived there.It was music and wanderlust that lured her to travel the world and landed her in another fishing village across the Atlantic - twenty-seven years ago - called Provincetown. She and her gaggle of musicians will perform once again at the Mermaid Brunch at the 29^th Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, where she will receive the David Asher Volunteer Award. The public is invited to greet the swimmers beginning at 11:30 am, followed by the brunch and awards ceremony on Saturday, September 10 at the Boatslip Beach Club.“The Swim embraces everything I love about Provincetown: a sense of community, the giving, it’s out there, whacky,” she notes, having performed at the event for over ten years. Musicians Kate Wolf, Sylvia Richard and Roxanne Layton, and others will join her.Zoe’s a musician and a songwriter, but an entertainer at heart, mashing up world beat with jazz, vaudeville with Latin grooves, winning festival awards in Texas, Colorado and New York. She and her mix of musicians and her Rubber Band cohorts have toured with Judy Collins and the Indigo Girls, while playing gigs across the country and as far away as Tahiti.Her latest CD was released this year, The Sound of Wings.Lead sponsor of the Swim for Life is Seamen’s Bank; media sponsor is the Provincetown Banner. Also, Fanizzi’s Restaurant, the Lobster Pot Restaurant, Far Land Provisions, the Boatslip Beach Club, Harbor Hotel, the Crown & Anchor, Mussel Beach Health Club and Berta Walker Gallery. The event also works cooperatively with the Provincetown Chamber and Business Guild and receives support from the Provincetown Visitor Services Board.Please join us for the Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, a 1.4-mile swim across Provincetown Harbor, sponsored by the Provincetown Community Compact that has raised $4M for AIDS, women’s health and the community. Organic, 100% cotton t-shirts designed by Bill Evaul are available for sale at Seamen’s Bank, downtown.If you have a motorized boat, we would welcome your assistance. For information for swimmers, kayakers, boaters and volunteers, contact: thecompact@comcast.net, and www.swim4life.org Take the Plunge!

The Provincetown Community Compact to memorialize the Orlando massacre victims with Prayer Ribbons in a public ceremony on September 6

For Immediate Release

Contact: Jay Critchley,  thecompact@comcast.netBoston Globe article.The Provincetown Community Compact (The Compact) will memorialize the 49 Orlando victims at a special ceremony at Provincetown Town Hall on Tuesday, September 6 at 1:00 p.m. Each person’s name will be inscribed on a black Prayer Ribbon, then read aloud and attached to the 2,800 Prayer Ribbons accumulated over 25 years at the annual Provincetown Swim for Life. An additional ribbon will be inscribed for those injured in the Orlando attack.After the ceremony at Town Hall, the Prayer Ribbons will be carried in procession to the Provincetown Public Library front lawn to be displayed through Friday, September 9. They will then be installed at the Boatslip Beach Club deck for the Swim for Life on Saturday, September 10.“Like communities across the country, Provincetown was shocked and outraged by the recent massacre at a gay Orlando nightclub,” said Jay Critchley, founder of Provincetown Community Compact. “Since the early 1980s, Provincetown has mourned the loss of hundreds of people to AIDS and has responded with compassion and action. We share a kinship with the Orlando community and honor their strength and resilience.”The public will also be invited to inscribe ribbons to honor victims of violence from communities across the US.The Compact is looking for 49 individuals to participate in the ceremony. Please contact thecompact@comcast.netAbout The CompactThe Provincetown Community Compact, Inc. was established in 1993 as a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization by Jay Critchley as a community-building and philanthropic organization to support living artists and the vitality of the arts community.Its mission is to advance the health and cultural well being of the year round community of Provincetown and the Lower Cape – its people, the natural environment and the economy. The Compact also acts as a “Think-ubator” (incubator), offering fiscal sponsorship for social, environmental and artistic projects, and manages two dune shack residencies in the Cape Cod National Seashore.For more information on The Compact: www.thecompact.orgAbout the Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler FlotillaThe Provincetown Swim for Life was established in 1988 to bring the community together and empower those affected by HIV. At this annual fundraiser, which has raised $4M for AIDS, women’s health and the community, the public is invited to honor people in their lives by inscribing a message on a colored ribbon. These Prayer Ribbons are a visual witness to a community that has moved well beyond fear and hatred. These special fifty ribbons will be the first black ribbons, and will be inscribed in silver and gold.www.swim4life.org

Swim for Life brings Eugene O'Neill back to town

PROVINCETOWN BANNER.  Have you noticed the number of local Centennials recently? Not surprising, we’re in the Centennial Decade, 1910-1920. That decade brought us the Pilgrim Monument, the Art Association & Museum (PAAM), the Provincetown Players, the Beachcombers and to cap it off, the 400^th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims arrives in 2020. It was also the Progressive Era in the US, so clearly articulated in Provincetown resident Adelle Heller’s book, co-written by Louis Rudnick, “1915, The Cultural Moment”, featuring the artists, writers, Communists and activists who descended upon our little spiral spit of sand.Provincetown has inspired two of America’s premier, Pulitzer Prize winning playwrights, Eugene O’Neill and Tennessee Williams. This year is the Centennial of O’Neill’s debut as a playwright, right here on an east end wharf. The community has responded with numerous events, and the Swim for Life joins them. For this year’s design, we chose a simple, elegant line drawing by local artist, Bill Evaul, who also designed the 1999 Swim artwork of a white-line block print of the Rose Dorothea. His work is presently featured in a major exhibition at PAAM, and he also has block prints at the Pilgrim Monument of O-Neill, George Cram Cook and Pulitzer Prize winner Susan Glaspell, major figures in Provincetown’s radical theater experiment.Swim for Life t-shirts - 100% organic cotton - with Bill’s design are available at Seamen’s Bank, downtown.O’Neill was friends with the Jack Reed, a Communist/journalist, whose book on the Russian Revolution, “Ten Days That Shook the World”, inspired The Compact’s pre-demolition happening at Herring Cove Bathhouse in 2012. O’Neill was a consummate swimmer and famously lived out in the dunes for many summers, entertaining a stream of Greenwich Village visitors. The Compact presently manages two of the 18 dune shacks, with funded weeks for artists and writers.The Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, a 1.4-mile swim across Provincetown Harbor, is sponsored by the Provincetown Community Compact and has raised $4M for AIDS, women’s health and the community since 1988. The event supports: the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod and Helping Our Women (primary beneficiaries); and, Provincetown Schools, Lower Cape Ambulance, Soup Kitchen of Provincetown, Outer Cape Heath Services, The Compact Community Fund, Accessible Provincetown, Provincetown Rescue Squad, West End Racing Club and Cape Cod Children’s Place.Lead business sponsor is Seamen’s Bank; media sponsor is the Provincetown Banner. Business sponsors include: Fanizzi’s Restaurant, Lobster Pot Restaurant, Far Land Provisions, Boatslip Beach Club, Harbor Hotel, Crown & Anchor, Mussel Beach Health Club and Berta Walker Gallery.For information for swimmers, kayakers, boaters and volunteers, contact: thecompact@comcast.net, and www.swim4life.org Take the Plunge!

Children's Place and West End Racing Club added to list

PROVINCETOWN BANNER. The Swim for Life, founded in 1988, fits nicely into the mission of the Provincetown Community Compact, its sponsor: to enhance the well being of the community.The AIDS Support Group and Helping Our Women remain the primary beneficiaries of this post-Labor Day fundraiser, and many other organizations have received funds on a continuous basis: the Soup Kitchen, Outer Cape Heath Services, Provincetown Schools, The Compact Community Fund, Lower Cape Ambulance and Provincetown Rescue Squad. For two years we committed funds for the Youth Reach program at PAAM, and last year we included support for a new organization, Accessible Provincetown.This year we have selected two new organizations: Cape Cod Children’s Place in Eastham, and the West End Racing Club.On a recent sunny afternoon I visited the West End Racing Club and met longtime leaders, Susan Avellar and Dan Hoeflinger, perched on the upper level of the waterfront clubhouse. Founded in the 1950s, the organization employs a rigorous peer program for eight to fourteen year olds who climb up the ranks by mentoring each other. A life-long project of the late Flyer Santos, the non-profit’s goal is “to teach the area children how to swim, sail and be safe around the water”, according its Facebook page. This is good news for the future of the Swim since about half of adolescents and adults do not know how to swim.All the Senior Sailing Instructors, who will soon be return to college, have been with the program for eight to fourteen years, each acquiring the needed skills and leadership along the way. Tristan Loughlin will return to the College of Charleston in South Carolina, Sara Rivera, born and raised in Provincetown, will continue studies at the University of Maine at Machias, Jessica Kent returns to Simmons College in Boston, and Luke Giacomo will head back to England.The 29^th Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, a 1.4-mile swim across Provincetown Harbor set for September 10, has raised $4M for AIDS, women’s health and the community since 1988. The public is invited to the Celebration of Life concert at the Meeting House on Friday, September 9 at 8:00pm. On Saturday, September 10, the public is welcome to greet the swimmers at the Boatslip Beach Club beginning at 11:30am, and partake of the Mermaid Brunch and awards ceremony that follows.The lead business sponsor is Seamen’s Bank, the media sponsor is the Provincetown Banner. Business sponsors include: Fanizzi’s Restaurant, Lobster Pot Restaurant, Far Land Provisions, Boatslip Beach Club, Harbor Hotel, Crown & Anchor, Mussel Beach Health Club and Berta Walker Gallery.For information for swimmers, kayakers, boaters and volunteers, contact: thecompact@comcast.net, and www.swim4life.org Take the Plunge!

Provincetown Community Compact presents the Swim for Life

Begun in 1988, the Swim for Life immediately took on a life of its own. The enthusiasm of our community and the urgent need to confront AIDS forged a bond that has continued to strengthen over 30 years. By 1992, 128 swimmers raised $35,000 for the Provincetown AIDS Support Group and People with AIDS Coalition. An official non-profit entity was needed and in 1993 the Provincetown Community Compact was born to anchor this growing event and provide a much-needed resource for nascent community projects.The mission of The Compact was expansive: to advance the health and cultural well being of the year round Provincetown community and the Lower Cape – its people, the natural environment and the economy. This would come to include the management of two dune shacks in the Cape Cod National Seashore for the general public, with designated weeks for visual artists and writers, one with a 0 fellowship. The Swim for Life began funding annual week stays for clients of the AIDS Support Group and Helping Our Women.The Compact also has initiated special projects in the community, notably, the pre-demolition Meadows Motel installations, which transformed an affordable destination into artist installations that spoke to loss, transformation and community identity. The Herring Cove Bathhouse project in 2012, Ten Days That Shook the World, co-sponsored by Ewa Nogiec’s Ten Day of Art, brought 50 creatives and 30 events and performances to this crumbling symbol of a changing environment and community. There was overwhelming public response.The Compact’s Think-ubator program, which provides a non-profit umbrella and consultation to individuals and groups, has nurtured several significant organizations that became independent non-profits: Provincetown International Film Festival, Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival, Cape Cod Modern House Trust and Bark Park.The Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, a 1.4-mile swim across Provincetown Harbor, is sponsored by the Provincetown Community Compact and has raised M for AIDS, women’s health and the community since 1988.Lead business sponsor is Seamen’s Bank; media sponsor is the Provincetown Banner. Business sponsors include: Fanizzi’s Restaurant, Lobster Pot Restaurant, Far Land Provisions, Boatslip Beach Club, Harbor Hotel, Crown & Anchor, Mussel Beach Health Club and Berta Walker Gallery.For information for swimmers, kayakers, boaters and volunteers, contact: thecompact@comcast.net, and www.swim4life.org Take the Plunge! 

Swim for Life to honor Orlando victims

Provincetown Banner, June 30, 2016.  Organized to fight HIV/AIDS, rampant homophobia and an unresponsive government and medical system, the Swim for Life will honor the victims of the Orlando massacre at its September 10 fundraiser. The name of each victim, and those injured, will be inscribed on a colored ribbon and added to the 2,800 ribbons that honor both those who have died and those whom we love. Families, friends and allies around the world will also be remembered. The fight against AIDS gave birth to Prayer Ribbona and they speak to the whole community.

It was mostly gay men who were devastated in the early decade of the AIDS pandemic. But activist men and women fought and demanded action. We changed the way healthcare is delivered in the country. And Provincetown was at the forefront of this battle: caring for the sick and fighting for humane and non-discriminatory treatments.

At its inception, the Swim for Life chose to support the activist Provincetown People with AIDS (PWA) Coalition, which espoused self-empowerment and challenged the unresponsiveness of traditional healthcare. The AIDS Support Group was added as a beneficiary and then Helping Our Women. We presently support a holistic model of community health: the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod and Helping Our Women (primary beneficiaries); and, Provincetown Schools, Lower Cape Ambulance, Soup Kitchen of Provincetown, Outer Cape Heath Services, The Compact Community Fund, Accessible Provincetown, Provincetown Rescue Squad, West End Racing Club and Cape Cod Children’s Place.

The Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, a 1.4-mile swim across Provincetown Harbor, is sponsored by the Provincetown Community Compact and has raised $4M for AIDS, women’s health and the community since 1988.Lead business sponsor is Seamen’s Bank; media sponsor is the Provincetown Banner. Business sponsors include: Fanizzi’s Restaurant, Lobster Pot Restaurant, Far Land Provisions, Boatslip Beach Club, Harbor Hotel, Crown & Anchor, Mussel Beach Health Club and Berta Walker Gallery.For information for swimmers, kayakers, boaters and volunteers, contact: thecompact@comcast.net, and www.swim4life.org Take the Plunge!

Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla Sept 10, 2016

Greetings

Swimmers, Kayakers, Boaters, Volunteers and Friends,

First, in this time of horrendous violence, I'd like to thank you for being part of the Swim for Life community. We are hope!

Summer weather is slowly moving in and the harbor and town are coming to life.  Hope you all had a splendid winter and spring and are gearing up to be outside and in or on the water. We look forward to your presence at the 29th Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla on September 10. Yes # 29!This community tradition and fundraiser is for AIDS, women's health & the community - sponsored by the Provincetown Community Compact.

For this year's event we invited artist Bill Evaul to help us celebrate the Centennial of the Provincetown Players and playwright Eugene O'Neill's debut play, Bound East for Cardiff,  produced  on a wharf in Provincetown in 1916. And O'Neill was an avid swimmer too!**

We are initiating a voluntary pre-registration process this year to assist us with accurate and legible data collection. Swimmers will still need to register on September 10 to confirm your pledges and receive your cap, number and t-shirt. Volunteers, please sign up by mid August if possible.Thank you all for keeping a special place in your heart for Provincetown.Watch for periodic updates before the big event.

Have a fun summer.

Peace,

Jay Critchley

PS. The short film, Ribbons, by Brandon Cordeiro, inspired by the Swim for Life, is featured at this week's Provincetown Film Fest!

** The Provincetown Players are credited with revolutionizing American theater. O'Neill  went on to win three Pulitzer Prizes and was also named Nobel Laureate. He lived in an old Coast Guard Station in the dunes for many years and his legacy was influential in preserving the historic dune shacks in the Cape Cod National Seashore. And O'Neill was an avid swimmer too!

The Provincetown Community Compact, which sponsors the Swim, manages two dune shacks primarily devoted to perpetuating arts and community in this unique, pristine environment: C-Scape and Fowler. It also supports community projects through its "Think-ubator" program.